Sporting KC Kicks Off New Season With A New Goalie

Sporting KC goalie Jimmy Nielsen retired at the end of the 2013 MLS season.

Credit Sporting KC

Sporting Kansas City will begin defense of their championship in Major League Soccer Saturday with a road game at Seattle to open the season.

There will be one noticeable difference in the look of this year’s team. Goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen, nicknamed "The White Puma" and known for wearing pink, decided to go out on top.

Nielsen announced his retirement shortly after Sporting's 2013 MLS Cup win. He is now coaching in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Succeeding Nielsen will be Eric Kronberg.

“Jimmy (Nielsen) was a great goalkeeper and a legend in this city, so hats off to him,” said Kronberg. “But I just try to think about the future, this year and my teammates now.”

Kronberg has waited for his big chance since he was drafted out of the University of California, Berkeley in 2006. He has answered the same question the last two months: Are you ready for the opportunity?

"Obviously I’m very excited about that, my opportunity. I’m ready to show this city what I can do,” he said.

Sporting’s first match at home will be a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal next Wednesday. Then FC Dallas will be Sporting’s first MLS opponent at home March 15.

You've probably heard by now that our very own Major League Soccer team, Sporting Kansas City, has made it to the MLS championship game, called the MLS Cup. The game will be played against Real Salt Lake (pronounced ree-AL) at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., on Saturday afternoon.

Sporting KC last played in a MLS final in 2004, losing to D.C. United. Kansas City, then known as the Wizards, won the MLS Cup in 2000.